This publication presents a range of education and labour force statistics produced from the 2001 Census of Population and Housing for Tasmania. For comparative purposes, it includes 1996 Census data presented on 2001 Census geography.

The tables in this publication provide selected characteristics of the population for Statistical Divisions (SDs), Statistical Subdivisions (SSDs) and Statistical Local Areas (SLAs). The purpose of these tables is to allow a broad comparison of characteristics between geographic areas.

This publication also contains the Basic Community Profile (BCP) for Tasmania. This set of tables is provided to illustrate the wide range of data available from the Census. The BCP consists of 33 tables. This publication contains tables 22 to 33 which focus on education and labour force characteristics. The remainder of the BCP, tables 1 to 21, is published in Census of Population and Housing: Selected Social and Housing Characteristics for Statistical Local Areas, Tasmania (cat. no. 2015.6).

The statistics in this publication are presented on the basis of where people were counted on Census Night ('as enumerated' counts).

One of the important features of the Census is that it describes the characteristics of Australia's population for small geographic areas and small population groups. While not available in this publication, data at the smallest geographic level (Collection District) are available in a range of census products. For more information on these products, please refer to the Appendix-Census Products and Services. Concepts and definitions used in this publication are explained in the Glossary and more detailed information is available in the 2001 Census Dictionary (cat. no. 2901.0). The Explanatory Notes in this publication provide a discussion of the scope and coverage of the Census, the different measures of population, and the limitations of census data.

This publication is one of a series of publications which provide data at the SLA level for each state and territory. A similar publication is also available for the whole of Australia, providing data at SSD level. See the Appendix-Census Products and Services for more information.

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

LABOUR FORCE

In Tasmania, the labour force decreased from 204,676 to 203,048 persons aged 15 years and over, a fall of 0.8%. This was the only decrease of all states and territories, compared with an increase of 6.6% for Australia.

EMPLOYED

In 2001, there were 182,522 employed persons of which 111,134 were full-time workers and 66,030 were part-time. This represented an increase of 0.2% (311 persons) since 1996 which is the smallest increase of all states and territories.

Full-time/Part-time

In 2001, there was a fall in the proportion of full-time workers who represented 54.7% of the labour force, down from 57.6% in 1996.

In the period 1996 to 2001, the number of persons employed part-time grew from 60,219 in 1996 to 66,030 in 2001, an increase of 9.6%, compared with 17.6% for Australia. These workers represented 32.5% of the labour force in 2001, compared with 29.4% in 1996.

The Lyell SSD recorded a large decrease in full-time workers, as a proportion of the labour force, since 1996 (to 58.7% from 63.2%) and also the only increase in unemployment (to 11.6% from 9.9%). Every other SSD in Tasmania experienced a decrease in both the full-time employment rate and the unemployment rate, while part-time employment rose. The Off-Shore Areas & Migratory SSD also experienced a large decline in full-time employment to 50.1% from 76.9%.

The North Eastern SSD recorded the largest increase in the proportion of part-time workers since 1996, (to 32.7% from 28.8%) followed by Burnie-Devonport (to 32.1% from 28.3%) and Southern (to 33.9% from 30.4%). The Off-Shore Areas & Migratory SSD also experienced a large rise (to 30.5% from 15.1%).

In 2001, the highest proportions of full-time workers, as a proportion of persons in the labour force, were recorded in the Statistical Local Areas (SLAs) of Launceston - Inner (71.1%), King Island (67.0%) and Latrobe - Pt B (62.0%) all outside Greater Hobart. Hobart - Inner (56.6%), Kingborough - Pt A (56.4%) and Hobart-Remainder(56.0%) were the highest within Greater Hobart.

Concentrations of part-time workers, as proportions of persons in the labour force, were recorded in the SLAs of Tasman (43.5%), Kingborough - Pt B (40.7%), Flinders (38.1%), Glamorgan/Spring Bay (37.6%) and Break O'Day (36.8%), all outside Greater Hobart. The highest within Greater Hobart was Kingborough - Pt A (35.1%).

Occupation

In 2001, the largest occupation groups were Professionals (30,778 persons or 16.9%), Intermediate Clerical, Sales and Service Workers (30,489 persons or 16.7%), Tradespersons and Related Workers (22,695 persons or 12.4%) and Associate Professionals (21,164 persons or 11.6%). These proportions are similar to those in 1996.

Within Greater Hobart SLAs, the highest proportion of employed people were working as Professionals. Hobart - Remainder (33.8%) was the highest, followed by Hobart - Inner (24.5%), Kingborough - Pt A (23.8%) and Clarence (18.5%). The highest proportions outside Greater Hobart were in Launceston - Inner (25.6%), Kingborough - Pt B (23.9%), West Tamar - Pt A (19.5%) and Launceston - Pt B (18.0%). The Off-Shore Areas & Migratory SLA also recorded a high proportion with 17.0%.

Intermediate Clerical, Sales and Service Workers were dispersed throughout the State. The SLAs of Glenorchy (20.9%), Sorell - Pt A (18.6%), Clarence (18.5%) and Kingborough - Pt A (18.4%) recorded the highest proportions within Greater Hobart, while Meander Valley - Pt A (20.9%), Launceston - Pt B (18.6%) and Burnie - Pt A (17.5%) recorded the highest proportions outside Greater Hobart.

The SLAs of Brighton (17.6%), Derwent Valley - Pt A (16.4%) and Glenorchy (16.0%), all within Greater Hobart, recorded the highest proportions of persons working as Tradespersons and Related Workers. West Coast (16.4%), George Town - Pt A (16.1%), and Southern Midlands (15.9%) recorded the highest outside Greater Hobart.

High proportions of persons working as Associate Professionals were recorded outside Greater Hobart in the SLAs of Launceston - Inner (19.7%), Glamorgan/Spring Bay (14.7%) and Meander Valley - Pt A (13.5%). The SLAs of Hobart - Inner, Hobart - Remainder (both 13.7%) and Clarence (13.6%) recorded the highest proportions within Greater Hobart. The Off-Shore Areas & Migratory SLA also recorded a high proportion with 15.4%.

Industry

In 2001, the four largest industries of employment in Tasmania were Retail Trade (27,354 persons or 15.0%), Health and Community Services (21,261 persons or 11.6%) Manufacturing (21,125 persons or 11.6%), and Education (15,040 persons or 8.2%). These were also the top four industries in Tasmania in 1996.

Since 1996 there has been an increase in the proportions of persons working in Retail Trade (to 15.0% from 13.7%), Property and Business Services (to 7.7% from 6.6%), Health and Community Services (to 11.6% from 10.9%) and Accommodation, Cafes and Restaurants (to 5.2% from 4.6%). Industries which experienced a decline in proportion included Government Administration and Defence (to 5.3% from 6.6%), Construction (to 5.1% from 5.9%) and Manufacturing (to 11.6% from 12.2%).

At the SLA level, high proportions of persons employed in Retail Trade were recorded throughout the State. Meander Valley - Pt A (19.4%), Burnie - Pt A (18.9%), Devonport (17.7%) and Launceston - Pt B (17.3%) outside Greater Hobart, and Glenorchy (18.3%) and Brighton (17.7%) within Greater Hobart recorded the highest proportions.

Health and Community Services recorded high proportions of employed persons both in metropolitan and regional SLAs. Within Greater Hobart, these were the SLAs of Derwent Valley - Pt A (18.3%), Hobart - Remainder (14.1%), and Kingborough - Pt A (13.4%). Outside Greater Hobart, SLAs recording high proportions of persons employed in this industry were Derwent Valley - Pt B (16.6%), Launceston - Pt C (13.7%) and Burnie - Pt A (13.2%).

Most of the highest proportions of persons employed in Manufacturing were recorded in SLAs outside Greater Hobart including George Town - Pt A (31.0%), George Town - Pt B (28.2%), Circular Head (21.1%) and Dorset (18.6%). The highest within Greater Hobart was Derwent Valley - Pt A (19.5%).

The highest proportions of persons employed in Education were in the SLAs of Hobart - Remainder (12.6%), West Tamar - Pt A (10.9%), Kingborough - Pt A (10.8%), Kingborough - Pt B (10.0%) and Central Coast - Pt A (9.7%).

UNEMPLOYMENT

The number of unemployed persons decreased (8.6%) to 20,526 in 2001 from 22,465 in 1996. The unemployment rate fell to 10.1% in 2001 from 11.0% in 1996. The unemployment rate was 7.4% for Australia in 2001.

While the number of unemployed persons looking for full-time work fell by 13.9% (to 15,639 in 2001 from 18,172 in 1996), those unemployed persons looking for part-time work increased by 13.8% (to 4,887 in 2001 from 4,293 in 1996).

At the SSD level, the largest declines in the unemployment rates between 1996 and 2001 were recorded in Central North (to 9.6% from 12.0%) and North Eastern (to 10.2% from 12.2%). Lyell experienced the only increase (to 11.6% from 9.9%).

In 2001, there were 107,454 persons aged 15 years and over with a qualification, accounting for 30.1% of all persons aged 15 years and over in Tasmania. Between 1996 and 2001 this proportion rose from 25.8% (an increase of 15,959 persons). This compares with a rise to 34.7% from 30.0% for Australia.

Of those with a qualification, 50.5% (54,314 persons) held a Certificate, 25.2% (27,132 persons) held a Bachelor Degree, 16.7% (17,892 persons) held an Advanced Diploma and Diploma, and 7.6% (8,116 persons) held a Postgraduate Degree or Graduate Diploma and Graduate Certificate as their highest level of qualification.

The highest proportions of persons aged 15 years and over with a Bachelor Degree or higher as their highest level of qualification were found within Greater Hobart in the SLAs of Hobart - Remainder (26.1%), Kingborough - Pt A (17.0%) and Hobart - Inner (13.5%). Launceston - Inner (22.7%) and Kingborough - Pt B (15.6%) recorded the highest proportions outside Greater Hobart. The SLA of Off-Shore Areas & Migratory recorded 13.5%.

High proportions of the population aged 15 years and over with an Advanced Diploma and Diploma were recorded outside Greater Hobart in the SLAs of Launceston - Inner (7.8%), Kingborough - Pt B (7.6%) and West Tamar - Pt A (6.3%). The SLAs of Hobart - Remainder (7.6%) and Kingborough - Pt A (7.5%) recorded the highest within Greater Hobart. The SLA of Off-Shore Areas & Migratory also recorded 7.8%.

Proportions of persons with a Certificate as their highest level of qualification were generally recorded outside Greater Hobart. The SLAs of Latrobe - Pt B (19.9%), West Tamar - Pt B (19.6%), Sorell - Pt B and West Coast (both 19.3%) registered the highest proportions. Sorell - Pt A (17.7%) and Kingborough - Pt A (15.8%) were the highest within Greater Hobart. The Off-Shore Areas and Migratory SLA recorded a high proportion of the population with a Certificate with 21.8%.

Field of Study

Of all persons aged 15 years and over with a qualification, qualifications were most commonly held in the fields of Engineering and Related Technologies (27,591 persons or 18.7%), Management and Commerce (16,877 persons or 11.4%), Health (13,950 persons or 9.4%), and Education (12,170 persons or 8.2%). Other, which includes Society and Culture, Creative Arts, Food, Hospitality and Personal Services, and Mixed Programmes (24,534 persons or 16.6%) also recorded a high proportion.

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